IntoUniversity provides local learning centres where young people are inspired to achieve. These centres exist to support young people growing up in some of Britain’s least privileged neighbourhoods, helping them overcome significant barriers to success.

In many of these communities, homes are overcrowded, leaving young people with nowhere to study. Devices are often shared between siblings, and hard-pressed families cannot afford private tutors or after-school activities. As a result, few young people achieve the grades needed to progress to university.
This creates a cycle where the disadvantages of one generation are passed on to the next, perpetuating neighbourhoods of poverty and educational underachievement.
Breaking the Cycle of Disadvantage
IntoUniversity centres provide a safe, welcoming, and supportive space - a home-from-home, located in the heart of these communities. Through after-school study sessions, mentoring, and their FOCUS programme, which inspires and nurtures ambition, IntoUniversity delivers long-term, dedicated support that helps young people break out of the cycle of disadvantage.
Bringing IntoUniversity to Leicester
Leicester is home to one of the newest IntoUniversity centres, established through a partnership with the University of Leicester and De Montfort University. Leicester was identified as one of 20 local authorities in the UK where people are most likely to experience deprivation. It also has the second-lowest household disposable income rate in the UK.
Poverty has profound effects on educational attainment, with disadvantaged students falling significantly behind their peers at every stage of education. In Leicester, for example, disadvantaged young people are, on average, 19 months behind their more advantaged peers (Education Policy Institute, 2020).
The Ian and Clare Mattioli Charitable Trust has generously committed significant funds to support the ongoing work of the IntoUniversity project in Leicester for the next four years. This vital support ensures the continued focus on learning and enables the centre to provide transformative opportunities for young people across the city.

A Proven Track Record of Success
With 20 years of experience, IntoUniversity now operates in 22 towns and cities across the UK. Each centre offers a holistic programme of support for students aged 7-18, designed to raise aspirations, broaden horizons, improve academic attainment, develop essential skills, and provide insights into the world of work. Ultimately, these programmes help young people reach university or enter professional careers that would otherwise be out of reach.
The impact of IntoUniversity’s work is clear: 64% of its students progress to higher education, compared to the national average of 44% and just 28% among students receiving free school meals. These successes create a tradition of educational and career achievement that cascades through families and communities, breaking down barriers for future generations.
For more information, visit the IntoUniversity website.
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